This invention relates to packaging, and more particularly a package comprising an item such as a frozen turkey disposed in tubular packaging material such as tubular plastic netting and a handle at one end of the package, and a method of packaging items in tubular packaging material and providing a handle at one end of each package.
This invention involves an improvement on the prior type of package and packaging method shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,499,259 and 4,071,063. This prior type of package generally comprises a length of tubular packaging material having an item (e.g., a frozen turkey) disposed within the tubular material between portions of the material bunched and fastened together by fasteners (clips or staples) at the ends of the item. The packaging material extends outwardly beyond the item at one end in a loop to form a handle for the package. In the prior method, the extension of material is bunched together and looped to form the handle, and the end of the bunched material in the loop is caught by the fastener at the said one end of the item. The operations of looping the extension of the tubular material and positioning it for being caught at its end by the fastener for securing the item in the tubular material are time-consuming manual operations, slowing down production of the packages enough to increase their cost.